Sephiroth's Second Chance
by Bleeding Heartgrenade
Summary: Sephiroth is brought back by the planet to atone for his sins. But will he be able to, with Cloud after him? And who are these strange people with numbered tattoos on their shoulders? Please R & R! Chapter 7 IS NOW UP!
1. Revelations and Readmission

**Sephiroth's Second Chance**

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Chapter 1

Revelations and Readmission

_All Characters belong to Sony. I wish they were mine, but I'm not that smart._

* * *

_W-what happened?_

_No, no it-it hasn't happened. It can't- I refuse to accept it!_

Sephiroth blinked and struggled for breath. He was floating in an empty space of green glowing light and strands of the Lifestream flowed around him. He wheezed, clutching his chest. His lungs felt as though they had not worked for a long time. He was unable to move his feet from their spot on an invisible surface below him. His hand went to his forehead where, moments before, blood had been pouring in a torrent down his face. Now there was no blood and he did not feel the indescribable pain that had been flooding his body when Cloud attacked him.

Cloud.

His puppet had been much stronger than he had anticipated. Such stupidity. Sephiroth sighed and looked around. Then he remembered Jenova. What had happened to Mother when he died?

"Mother." Sephiroth whispered softly. No reply.

"Mother." Sephiroth called a little more loudly.

Still there was no response, no reassuring voice. Sephiroth keep calling, getting louder and louder, until he was yelling.

He screamed "Mother!" at the top of his lungs, but there was no reply. He realised something. Jenova had never kept him waiting before.

Never.

* * *

Cloud brushed his blonde spikes out of his glowing azure eyes and stared around the silent bedroom of the Kalm inn.

Piercing cerulean eyes met chocolate brown and Tifa smiled at her 'hero'. He had, after all, saved her from falling into the pit of Mako and saved the world from Sephiroth and Meteor.

Tifa was sitting on the floor, her back against the radiator. Yuffie was sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs swinging gently. Barret was leaning against the wall; his head tilted back, his eyes shut. Red sat in a corner watching Cloud, his tail occasionally swishing back and forth, back and forth. Cid stood, his hand wrapped around a cigarette, taking long deep drags from it. Cait Sith sat on top of his gigantic mog, which was squeezed awkwardly between the staircase and the wall, and seemed to be stuck, judging by the impatient noises coming from Cait. Vincent stood indifferently in a corner, not doing anything.

"Well, we've done it." Cloud finally broke the silence. Everyone looked up and smiled (well, whether or not Vincent smiled no one knew as his mouth was hidden).

"No more Sephiroth, no more Jenova, and no-more-bloody-Shinra." Barret growled.

Everyone nodded. Tifa jumped up and stretched.

"What's going to happen now?" she asked, looking around.

"I suppose we'll all go our separate ways," replied Red, "but we'll meet again to relive the old times."

Everyone nodded, and, gradually, began to say their goodbyes and leave the room.

* * *

Sephiroth stared in every direction, as soft footsteps reverberated around him. A figure stepped into the green glow in front of him. A figure in a pink dress and long brown hair tied in a plait.

"Do you know me?" a sweetly female voice asked. Oh yes, he knew her. He knew her.

Aeris.

"You're dead." he said flatly, crossing his arms.

"So are you!" she giggled.

Sephiroth stared into the emerald eyes of the girl he had murdered. She reached out her hand, and Sephiroth found that he was drawn, against his will, towards her. He also found he couldn't take his eyes off her face. When they were nearly face to face, Sephiroth felt himself no longer being drawn, yet could not pull back.

"What the hell do you want? Haven't I got to go to the Lifestream? What did you do to Mother? You've had your fun, Centra." Sephiroth growled. Aeris smoothed her dress unnecessarily.

"Jenova is destroyed, as is all her DNA inside of people, and by order of the planet, has been banished to the turmoil outside the Lifestream." she informed him.

Sephiroth acted unconcerned "Am I to be sent there too?"

"No." The answer was so quick, Sephiroth was taken aback.

"Why not?" Sephiroth frowned. Aeris looked him in the eye, and said, simply, "Because I forgive you."

"Why should I care for your forgiveness? I would have been a God! Why should I care for your pitiful emotion?" Sephiroth sneered at her.

Aeris turned and walked away, before looking over her shoulder at Sephiroth.

"Because I'm not the only one who forgives you."

A strand of green soul spiralled by Sephiroth's ear, and there was a soft whisper in the void.

"I forgive you."

Sephiroth whipped around; slightly surprised he could move his legs. There was no-one there.

"I forgive you." Another thread floated by, a whisper from the emerald radiance.

"Go away!" Sephiroth roared. "I don't want your forgiveness, I don't need it!"

The voices grew louder repeating their message, threatening to drive the listener to insanity. Green coils and loops floated about, tying round him, seeming to tighten, painfully, but comforting. Sephiroth saw faces flash in front of his eyes; Mr Lockheart, that Turk Tseng and countless others that Sephiroth hardly knew or remembered.

The voices grew so loud, they could have been screaming, and yet, they were not.

Then, they were gone, and Sephiroth found himself on the floor of the void with his face in his hands. A tender hand rested on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but it is necessary to do this." said Aeris gently. Sephiroth stood up.

"So… what will happen to me now?" asked Sephiroth.

"You will go back to the Planet and right the wrongs you have caused." Aeris replied.

She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes and pain exploded in Sephiroth's head. He screamed, clutching his skull, screwing up his eyes, gritting his teeth against the agony. Then the pain vanished, and he lay panting.

"This is to aid you on your journey. When it turns green all the people on the Planet will have forgiven you and you can enter the Lifestream." Aeris told him.

"I don't want it, whatever it is." Sephiroth said roughly, running his hands over his skin, trying to find out what Aeris had done. He couldn't find anything. "All this is, is extra time for me to beg on Earth, then?"

"No, your life is for you to do as you wish, but I would advise you do change your habits unless you want a wretched After-life." Aeris warned.

"However if Cloud and the others find you, I will not stop them from killing you. Now shut your eyes."

"But I could summon meteor again! I am an Ancient! Jenova-"

"The Black Materia was destroyed." Aeris said, in an unnaturally steely tone "Jenova is gone. What's more, Sephiroth, you were never an Ancient. Jenova was a monster that gave Ancients viruses which turned them into monsters, but she certainly _wasn't_ an Ancient. Now close your eyes."

"You lie." Sephiroth said, but his voice shook. "You…you…YOU LIE!"

Aeris looked at him sadly. "Do I look like I am lying, Sephiroth?"

His eyes met hers. Overpowering emerald washed over unwilling turquoise.

Sephiroth closed his eyes and felt his body spinning through nothingness. He couldn't see anything, and there was an unearthly howling in his ears.

Then his feet hit solid ground and he stumbled, and fell face first into a freezing powdery substance. Sephiroth coughed and his eyes flew open and revealed a white landscape to him. Sephiroth stood up, brushing himself off and looked around.

He was vaguely aware he was standing in the snow field between Icicle Inn and Corral Valley Cave. He was also aware of how chilly it was. When Jenova was with him, he didn't feel the cold.

Now, he shuddered and pulled his cloak around him, as goosebumps spread up his arms and legs. A soft Wark! behind him made him jump. Turning, gripping the hilt of his Masamune in his hands, he was relieved to see his black Chocobo, Setzer.

Suddenly, in the reflection of his Masamune, Sephiroth saw a flash of black. He looked again and saw a tattoo of a black star on his left temple. He snorted. Aeris must have wanted to remind him about the Meteor he'd sent to the planet with Black Materia. Clambering onto his feathered friend, Sephiroth set off towards the Corral Valley Cave.

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**What do you think? Please tell me what you think! REVIEW!**


	2. Love and Life

Chapter 2

Love and Life 

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_All Characters belong to Sony. Please don't sue me!_

Hi! This is my little notice section! I will answer any reviews here! Keep reviewing:)

finalfantasyswordsman77: Thanks for your review! I hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

**_Words in the story like this are flashbacks or dreams_**

_'Words in the story like this are thoughts'_

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Clambering onto his feathered friend, Sephiroth set off towards the Corral Valley Cave._

* * *

Cloud sat at his table, in his home in Kalm. It had been five long years since Sephiroth fell and Cloud was living peacefully with his wife Tifa in a small house, above a bar in Kalm. The house was warm and cosy and Cloud felt more content there than he had anywhere else in his life. Cloud worked as a mercenary now, killing monsters for people and doing jobs for good money.

Cloud and Tifa had thought of living in Nibelheim, but had both agreed that the place held far too many bad memories.

They had also thought about living in Neo Midgar, the new Midgar, but it was far too busy. It had taken the best part of four years to shift the ton of rock, metal and mass of mangled dead bodiesout of the city, but it had been managed. The city had been slowly but surely rebuilt, and the slums below were sealed off, seeing as most of it was crumbling apart anyway.The city was once more a network of light and sound. Though there had been parks and gardens added, with fountains and tennis courts. Reeve had taken over Shrina and was changing it dramatically. He wanted enviromentally friendly energy sources, and a clean city to run. The reactors werepulleddown(to loud cheers) and the Lifestream was healing itself fast.

Coal was now the main fossil fuel of the Planet, and North Corel was flourishing with work. Barret was the new Mayor of Corel and was living there with Marlene and Elmyra. Elmyra and Barret had grown attached to each other since Meteor was destroyed. They had both so much in common, both had adoptive daughters, (though of course Aeris had 'returned to the planet'), they had both suffered grievous losses and they both wanted a bit of peace and quiet now.

Nanaki had found a female of his species imprisoned in the basement of Shrina Mansion, and after much time together, she became his lifelong companion, which, in their species, meant wife. When he had found her, she had had no name, as she had been born under Hojo's capture. So she named herself Felixi – meaning Lucky, because she said she was lucky to have met Nanaki. They had two cubs named Ardor (The boy) and Femelle (The girl).

Cait Sith was currently with Reeve in Midgar. He was quite an old machine, getting rusty, so Reeve was trying to fix him, without screwing up his brain. This was quite hard, seeing as most of the Shinra's technology was destroyed, both in the Weapon attack, and when Meteor nearly wiped out the city.

Yuffie was living in Wutai, her old man finally having died. She was ruler of Wutai and giving it more materia and making it more popular. She told Cloud when she came to visit once that everyone loved Wutia and she had more materia than ever, though Cloud still made a note to hide his materia, wnenever she came.

Cid had been living with Shera, and had proposed to her only three months ago. Everyone had been at the wedding and Cid was very happy now (though still cussing fluently).

As for Vincent, everyone suspected after the wedding he went back to his coffin. He seemed to spent alot of time there, though he would never say what he was doing there.

A smallchild appeared at the doorway of the kitchen. She had long, silky brown hair and sparkling blue eyes and was wearing a cherry dressing gown.

"Hello Lily." Cloud greeted the infant, and the youngster ran over to her father.

"Hallo Daddy. I came to say night-night." the little girl chirruped, as she clambered onto Cloud's knee.

"Night-night sweetie." Cloud ruffled his daughter's hair. At once his daughter reached up with her small hand and ruffled his hair. Cloud tickled her and she squealed.

He gave her a piggy-back ride up the spiralling stairs to the landing, past photos and paintings, into her room where her twin, Auron, was clambering into a soft, pastel-blue bed as his mother was hanging up his dressing-gown.

"Here, Lily, hand me your 'gown, its time for bed. You've got nursery tomorrow." Tifa told her young child.

"'Kay."Lily handed the cherry dressing gown to her mother, then scrambled into her pinkbed as Cloud went over to his son, who had spiky blond hair and deep brown eyes like his mother, which were drooping slightly.

"Goodnight Daddy." mumbled Auron sleepily.

"Night-night Auron." whispered Cloud, kissing him goodnight. He kissed his daughter, then left the room while Tifa said goodnight to her children, and turned on a purple nightlight in the shape of a smiley face. Tifa shut the door gently behind her, and joined her husband. They kissed and walked to their bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind them, so that the photographs and pictures on the walls, were turned to shadows.

* * *

They had no idea that, far away on the North Continent, in an icily windy cave, full of stones, stalagmites and stalactites, Sephiroth was huddled against a rough stone wall, feeling utterly miserable. He was cold, hungry, wet, aching and annoyed.

Sephiroth had found that now he was back on the planet, he no longer had the horrible greedy thirst for power as he had had in his previous life. He just wanted to live a quiet life. Though considering who he was, that idea was laughable.

His chocobo was resting nearby, warking gently in its sleep. Sephiroth pulled his black trench coat tight around him, and stood up, looking out of the cave mouth. It was truly majestic land, pure, hallowed white, with tall mountains rising up like ancient emperors of the land in the distance.

Sephiroth sniffed, and then sneezed spectacularly. It seemed to echo around the landscape. Sephiroth grunted, and turned back into the cave, shivering uncontrollably.

He huddled back up against the wall of the cave, and wondered where he was going to go on the planet, and what he was going to do when he got there.

_'Well, I know what I'm going to do.' _Sephiroth thought. '_Beg for forgiveness.'_

He knew now, it was what he must do, and he deserved any anger show towards him when he asked to be forgiven.

With that he rested his head on the hard rock, and slipped into a fitful sleep, full of strange and dark dreams.

* * *

I hope you like it, Sephiroth's in for a rough time in future chapters. I'm not very good at knowing what Ratings or Genres to give stories so please tell me if you think my ratings or genres don't fit, and I need to change them.

Thanks!

Review!


	3. The Rescue and Remembering

Chapter 3

The Rescue and Remembering 

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_All Characters and Locations and most of the ideas belong to Sony_

Hi! This is my little notice section! I will answer any reviews here! Keep reviewing :)

ShadowSessMarlfox –Thank you for the review. Keep giving me advice! And yep, Jenova's dead (Ding Dong)!

* * *

**_Words in the story like this are flashbacks or dreams_**

_Words in the story like this are thoughts_

Please review!

_

* * *

_

_He knew now, it was what he must do, and he deserved any anger show towards him when he asked to be forgiven._

_With that he rested his head on the hard rock, and slipped into a fitful sleep, full of strange and dark dreams.

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_

Feet pounded on the hard stone floor, as the woman fled down the stone tunnel, to a cave with a vertical stonewall with cracks and ledges in it. She wore a black bandana, her torso was covered in a stained cotton vest, and leather leggings covered her legs. A belt at her waist carried knifes and items. Her gleaming eyes were streaming because of the cold air, and her breath misted into the air, as she ran flat out, her cold hands reaching out, grabbing a cracked ledge, swinging her legs up out of the range of the furious fiend that swiped at her ankles.

She clambered clumsy up the outcrop of rock, ignoring the pain in her waist. The wound above her hip oozed and poison fed into her veins. The monster roared and tore at her, as she turned, drawing a curved sword from her belt. The swipe the creature took at her was sudden, and she fell hard, hitting the ground with a dull smack, and rolled immediately sideways as the beat clawed the rocky floor, were she had been lying. She cried out in pain as she stood, and swaying slightly, bounded forwards and stabbed the creature in the abdomen.

It roared deafeningly, and smashed the sword out of her weak grasp. Another swipe, and she was scrawled in the corner, unarmed, as the brute advanced. It raised a clawed paw, and she screamed.

Sephiroth shivered slightly as he entered the cave, and he urged Setzer onward. He entered the cliff-cave, and heard strange movements down below. He whipped out his Masamune and clambered off his Black Chocobo, moving to the edge of the ledge, and peering over, immediately spotting a large creature.

He saw what the monster was; it was an Acrophies. A water dragon-like creature, and quite dangerous. It was nothing to Sephiroth, but for other fighters it could be deadly. Then he saw it was attacking something.

A female scream ripping the air answered his question. He saw a young woman cornered by the monster, her sword lying on the floor behind the creature. The sword was covered in blood, she had attacked the monster quite effectively, but it had over-powered her.

In his previous life, he would have gone on by, letting the monster kill its victim, but there was something about this woman that captured him. Her long, brown hair, her sparkling and glowing sapphire eyes and her beautiful, smooth skin, and a weird familiarity he could not put his finger on. She reminded him of something or someone, he could not remember.

He lifted his sword and leapt clean off the cliff. He soared down, through the air, the Masamune slicing the wind apart with a sharp whistling noise.

The Acrophies raised its ugly head, and Sephiroth drove Masamune deep through the creature's brains. It collapsed on the ground, its yellow blood seeping over the stone floor. The woman was slumped against the stone wall, a low moan admitting from her throat. Sephiroth walked over to her, Setzer leaped neatly down to him, jumping from ledge to ledge, warking loudly.

"Uhhhh … aggghhhh … owww..." she groaned in pain, her eyes lolling in her head.

Then she drooped, and collapsed. Sephiroth put a cold hand on her throat. Yes, there was a pulse. She must be unconscious. Sephiroth removed his hand, and put his Masamune, which was sparkling and clean again, back into its sheath, and placed his arms under her body.

Sephiroth gently lifted her onto his black Chocobo, picked up her discarded sword and climbed up onto Setzer himself. He knew she must have Mako in her blood to make her eyes glow like that. Then he rode Setzer towards the Forgotten City.

* * *

_Where am I?_

_Who was that tall silver-haired man?_

_It couldn't have been…Sephiroth?_

_How is he alive…I thought Avalanche killed him?_

_He has become very handsome_

_He saved me from death_

The woman's eyes snapped open. She was lying on a soft bed in a dark room. The curtains were drawn, and an oak door was closed on the opposite wall. The woman felt awful. She slid her long smooth legs out of the covers, and discovered, to her shock that she was wearing a large white vest and boxers. Where were her clothes? She remembered suddenly, and put her hand to her waist. It was clean, and only a faint scar indicated where the poisoned wound had been. Her head throbbed as she tried to stand and she staggered and fell. The door flew open, and a man ran into the room, scooping her up from the floor. She looked into his face, seeing bright aqua-green glowing eyes and runaway bangs of silver hair on his forehead. A concerned expression lingered on his features. For a while neither spoke.

_Why is she looking at me like that? _Wondered Sephiroth.

Sephiroth broke the silence first.

"You should rest, you're injured."

He guided her back to the bed. The woman was looking at him very intently, and it made him nervous, uncomfortable. Sephiroth quickly turned and left the woman on the bed and went to a small kitchen in the next room. It was cramped, but cosy. He opened a cupboard door, and took the tub coffee granules down from the shelf, and began to make coffee.

This was a place that Sephiroth had used when he had been travelling with Mo-Jenova, as a hideout. The house was deep in the heart of Sleeping Forest. This house was his hiding place and had been for a couple of years, hidden from travellers and nosy people. It wasn't much, but it was a home to him. He left the Kitchen and moved into the living room, clutching his coffee in his hand.

Sephiroth sat down in a battered armchair. It stood in the middle of the living room, which was the biggest room in the house. To his right, a fire blazed in the hearth. He gulped the scalding coffee down, and picked up his sword, which lay out on the carpet. For a few moments, he was busy cleaning his long blade. Then he heard a creak behind him. He whipped around, his blade, unsheathed. The woman yelped, and leapt backwards, staggering away from the chair, which she had been approaching. Sephiroth sighed, and laid the sword on the floor. The woman hesitated, and walked unsteadily around the chair, to sit on a seat opposite him. She stared fixedly at him for a long time, and Sephiroth gulped.

"Umm… I don't know you name yet."

Something flashed in the woman's brown eyes, something like … disappointment. She rose, standing shakily and walking over to him. Sephiroth looked up at her. She looked as though she was the same age as him, though he didn't age the same as normal people. She stared at him, now stood before him, and said, in a voice, low and sad,

"You don't remember me, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth stared at her. Her face suddenly split into a grin. She suddenly leant forwards, and he shrank back, confused. Her hazel eyes gazed into his turquoise ones, illuminated by the flames under the mantelpiece.

"Do you remember this?"

She leant forwards, and her soft lips touched his. At once, images flashed blindly in front of Sephiroth's eyes, and he remembered.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Come on Seph!"**_

**_The girl was laughing, running along the corridors, pulling the silvery haired boy along behind her. They were about 13 or 14 years old, wearing fighter's clothing._**

"_**Keila … slow … down!" The boy panted. **_

_**The girl gave a dramatic groan, and turned to face him. She put her hands on her hips, and giggled as the boy wheezed, clutching his stomach.**_

"_**Honestly, Seph, don't ya exercise at all?"**_

_**The young Sephiroth grimaced. **_

"**_Sure I do. But that worthless creep thinks I need to sit in the lab more than exercise. He gonna be mad when he finds out I skived testing today."_**

_**Keila wiggled her hips, and stuck out her tongue at Seph. **_

"**_Well, if ya're so worried 'bout _him_ we could go spent a'other day in our cells…"_**

**_Seph scowled and shook his head. Keila beamed and grabbed his hand, pulling him along again. Then footsteps sounded around a corner. The two teenagers, ducked into a door that was open on the right. They scrambled hastily across an empty, deserted and dark office, and slid under a desk. They crouched here, panting; Keila's face flushed with excitement, Sephiroth looking worried. _**

"**_Why did we come out here anyway?" Sephiroth muttered. Keila's silhouette pouted, and crossing her arms, glowered at him._**

"**_Ya mean you forgot?" she hissed at him._**

**_She reached over to him, and kissed him in the pitch black. For a moment, Sephiroth did not respond, feeling her warm mouth on his, then leant forwards, and kissed her back, fiercely. They intertwined together, kissing tenderly. Then heavy footsteps thudded across the shadowy office floor, and they were wrenched apart, a strong hand yanking Sephiroth out by the hair, into a dazzling torchlight._**

_**End Flashback**_

Her mouth released its warm hold on his lips. Sephiroth swallowed, and looked up at the woman.

"…Keila?" He asked.

She nodded. Sephiroth's head was buzzing with questions. This was Keila, another specimen of Hojo's. She had been his first love. She had vanished while they had been fighting in the Wutian wars. He had thought she had been killed. He stood up, and embraced her. They stood there, Keila resting her forehead on his shoulder, remembering his scent, his warmth, his heartbeat. Sephiroth held her, and felt, as he had on only a few occasions, like crying.

Keila detached herself gently from his hold, and picked up his coffee cup from the floor.

"I think we'll talk in the morning, it's too late for stories, now."

Sephiroth nodded, and then smiled.

"I notice you don't speak with that accent any longer. And you don't call me that stupid name anymore."

Keila paused at the kitchen door.

"Goodnight, Seph."

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. He was now resting his head in his hands, slumped in the comfy chair. For the first time ever, he was feeling very tired. Then, before he knew it, he was asleep, dreaming about dark corridors and surly guards. Then his dreams became lighter and there was a girl that winked at him, and leapt away as he unsheathed the masamune, but grinned happily and blew him a kiss. Then she turned, and began to run away. He howled, trying to follow her, but his legs were frozen. He wailed, but he couldn't reach her.

_"Don't go!" he cried out, his voice echoing. "Don't go!"_

* * *

**Do you like, do you hate? Tell me, tell me, tell me, and tell me!**

_**I'm moving this story up to M-rating, cause there may be a sex scene in the next chapter, and more violence appearing.**_


	4. News of Friends and Enemies

Chapter 4

News of Friends and Enemies

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_Some are mine, Some are Sony's. _

Hi! This is my little notice section! I will answer any reviews here! Keep reviewing :)

finalfantasyswordsman77 – Hello again! Thanks for reviewing!

atomicsquidd – Heh, Sephster. I can imagine Keila calling him that.

Master Sabbath – Thanks! Keep reviewing!

* * *

_**Words in the story like this are flashbacks or dreams**_

_Words in the story like this are thoughts

* * *

_

Please review!

* * *

_He couldn't reach her_

"_Don't go!" he cried out, his voice echoing. "Don't go!"

* * *

_

Cloud yawned widely. Tifa giggled.

"Tifa, you're like a little kid sometimes!" Cloud pretended to scold her.

She pinched his arm painfully and he chased her around the tiny kitchen, giving mock swipes at her. Then she spun around, caught him in her arms and kissed him tenderly. They stood kissing in each other's embrace for a minute, before Tifa disengaged herself from him, and sighed.

"Well, I'd better open the bar now. Come on Cloud."

Cloud stretched, and yawned again. He was quite tired. His kids had already left for nursery, and their pub was at opening time. Their bar was named Seventh Heaven after Tifa's old bar.

Cloud joined Tifa downstairs, where she was pulling the last bolt aside on the door lock. Then after propping the doors open, she went behind the counter to wipe it vigorously with a damp cloth.

The bar was large and bright. The brilliant sun was beaming in through the gleaming windows and shimmering on the oak tables. Bar stools sat coated in soft red leather by the counter. Glasses and bottles sparkled behind the counter as Cloud pulled chairs out from the corner of the bar and began putting them around the circular tables. Cloud's sword, Ultimate weapon, glinted red behind the counter on the red brick wall.

Soon the bar was full of people. Not only were Tifa's drinks the best for miles, but Tifa, Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE were heroes all over the Planet. People sometimes came just to stare at Tifa and Cloud, or to drink a toast to them. Tifa would blush, but Cloud never really thought of himself as a hero. He just shrugged at the idea, and laughed.

Once a man called Ganyan, who was Tifa's old karate teacher, got into a fight with a drunkard, who said that Cloud was a "Lying, fat, useless bastard!" Ganyan got a nasty nosebleed before Cloud realised what was happening. He pulled his Ultimate Weapon from its pride of place on the wall, and the drunk spun around to find a razor-sharp point quivering at his throat. He left the bar _very _quickly.

Then as Cloud was serving a regular customer, a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man walked into the bar, a woman by his side. The man was wearing black, baggy trousers and a white vest underneath a brown leather jacket. The pretty, brown-haired woman followed, with a long, emerald-green dress and matching earrings and necklace. Behind them a girl walked, wearing a long lacy pink dress and black buckled shoes, which clicked on the hard wood polished floor. There were pink ribbons in her straight chocolate-coloured hair and her hazel slanted eyes glinted in the light slicing through the gleaming windows.

"Barret! Elmyra! Marlene!" Tifa greeted them, waving over the heads of their patrons. "How are you, and – Barret, what happened to your gun!" Barret grinned, sliding onto a bar stool (which groaned, creaking ominously) and showing Tifa a prosthetic hand.

"Reeve did it for me." Barret said, raising his voice slightly over the clamour of people in the pub. "I mean, I can't exactly have a gun on my arm when I'm the mayor of Corel, now can I? But watch this!"

The hand slid back into his wrist and his gun, Missing Score, came out to replace it. Then it vanished again to become a hand again. Cloud came over and shook his head, beaming at his old friend. Then he turned to see Elmyra.

"Hello Elmyra! Looking after yourself?" He raised his voice over the laughter and greetings ringing around the bar as people waved and shouted to each other.

"Yes, thank you Cloud." Elmyra beamed over the counter at him, sliding onto a stool, smiling warmly at Tifa, and adding, "Are you OK?"

"Absolutely!" Cloud turned to serve a ginger-haired lady on the corner of the counter, and called back down the bar "How's Marlene?"

"See for yourself."

Elmyra reached down and lifted Marlene up onto her knee. Marlene was no longer the small shy little girl that had be a bartender, and part of a quest five years ago. She was now a pretty nine year old who loved to talk, went to school and adored her young friends. Marlene gave Cloud an adorable smile, fiddling with the lace on her skirts.

"Hi Marlene." Tifa greeted the nine-year old.

"Hiya Auntie Tifa. Hello Uncle Cloud." chirped Marlene. Cloud reached over the sparkling bar and ruffled her brown hair. Marlene shook her head in annoyance.

"Tifa, Honi, give this angel an orange juice." Tifa grinned, and sidled off along the bar, scoping up a generous tip left by a customer and winking cheerily at friends who were drinking deeply from tankards by the door.

"Marlene's getting top marks in school." exclaimed Elmyra happily to Cloud, who had leaned in to listen to their conversation. Barret smiled proudly. Cloud smiled widely at the cute girl, and Marlene blushed and tried hard not to look too pleased. Elmyra moved onto another stool so Marlene could sit on one herself.

A man called down the bar for service, and Cloud poured a beer and slid it all the way down the counter, where the man seized it and shouted his thanks. Barret looked up and grinned at Cloud.

"You run a $&! cool bar here, Cloud." He smirked at his old friend.

"Here you go, Marlene."

Tifa was back. She slid a tall glass of iced orange juice over the counter, with a pink spirally straw coming out of the top.

"Thanks Tifa." Cloud watched as Barret beamed at his adoptive daughter's polite tone.

Marlene reached over the woodwork and grabbed the glass. As she sipped the drink, and began gazing around the bar with large eyes, Cloud noticed something glistening around her neck. It was the pendant of Marlene's true mother, Eleanor.

* * *

Somewhere in a gloomy wooden house three people stood before a table, wedged in dark corner. Another person sat in a slumped fashion, in the gloom, cloaked and hooded, behind the table. A stench of death, of rotting decay filled the tiny room.

The person spoke suddenly, in a cold, low, hoarse way, but the voice was calm. There was a strange way the person spoke, as though speaking was a thing that he had not done for a long time.

"So…You want him, do you?"

"He is The One." One of the people replied, in a harsh, male voice, and the person was tall, cloaked and had long black boots. All his clothes were black. A short knife-like sword was fixed in a Valron-hide sheath to his belt, where purple spheres glowed. His eyes were amethyst-coloured and they blazed in the dark cabin. His mouth was thin and tight-lipped, and his firm face was outlined by long auburn hair, tied back into a ponytail.

An amused, croaky laugh echoed from the shadows, accompanied by a stink of festering corpses. The man bristled angrily. His hand flexed towards the hilt of his sword. A pale, greenish hand rose limply from the shadows.

"Peace." The voice was cold again. "He is unique, of course. But I wonder, will he care for you?"

"We are loyal." Another one of the people spoke, a woman, her voice sweet and sharp as a knife. She wore skin-tight ruby-red leathers and a bow and arrows were slung over her shoulders. Curved and twisted knifes were fixed in her boots and belt, and materia orbs glittered in their slots. Her sharp, pale nose was wrinkled in disgust at the smell. She wore a fur cloak around her shoulders, and her black hair cascaded onto the white fleece. Her face was pale and her eyes were a gold and yellow colour, like a cat. They glowed powerfully.

"You are sure of your facts?" She asked sharply of the man in the shadowy corner. A sneer became visible on the hidden face.

"Naturally. He cannot return to the Planet." The person said gravely. "He has returned. I can bring him to you. I have told you how."

"Indeed." The tall cloaked man scorned him. The man in the shadows shifted awkwardly on his chair.

"And what of the other?" The hidden man enquired disdainfully.

"That will be up to The One." The woman replied, crossing his arms defiantly. The man standing next to her cleared his throat and both his companions looked at him.

"We must go. Our ranks are swelling all the time. We are to attack at dawn, thus declaring our allegiance to The One. There will be the calling, and he will come soon for us. It is time for the children to return together."

The other two nodded, and turned. They walked out of the door, and closed it, leaving the man in darkness. The man lowered his head, and smiled to himself.

"Yes, he could not return to the Planet. It rejected him."

The man rose unsteadily, and staggered over to the window looking out. The aroma of death swelled and choked the air. A pale, deadly hand reached out, touched the cold glass.

"Just like it rejected me."

* * *

Outside, the three companions gathered together. The house was situated in a clearing, with tall birch trees towering around them. The moon shone bright overhead, a pearly face among the scarlet clouds in the dark night. The swaying trees cast skeletal shadows over the rippling blades of grass, and the plants and flowers looked like mysterious shapes, whispering unknown messages in the breeze that swept over the small house.

The third in the group was a young boy. His hair was straw-coloured, his eyes were orange and, like his friends, they shined brightly. His khakis were made of a sandy, coarse fabric. He wore no top, and the only protection was a thin, dark cloak. He had a ring on his left hand, and an iron bangle hung on his thin wrist. He carried a double-ended spear in his right hand, and a single yellow globe flashed inside its slot.

"When will we see our Lord, sister?" He asked the woman, clutching the spear, and looking curiously up at the stars, just visible through the waving branches.

"Soon enough, young one." The woman responded shortly, glancing at the man.

"Come on." The man said curtly.

Suddenly, as one, they bent their legs, and leapt into the air, their cloaks flapping behind their bodies. Their feet hit the tree branches, and they bounded forwards again, soaring over the trees, their cloaks, wings bursting free. They jumped again, and were framed for a second by the moonlight, their long cloaks rippling like water. All three faces were lifted upwards, eyes glowing darkly. Gleaming in the lunar radiance, three black numbers were blazed on each of their left shoulders. Numbers 3, 4 and 15.

The children were returning for the Reunion.

* * *

**More reviews More updates! So please review!**

**_I'm moving this story up to M-rating, cause there _will_ be a sex scene in the next chapter, and more violence appearing._**


	5. The Past and Passion

Chapter 5

The Past and Passion

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_Disclaimer: C'mon, you know what are Squaresoft's by now…_

This chapter contains a sexual scene, if you don't like, don't read.

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Hi! This is my little notice section! I will answer any reviews here! Keep reviewing :)

finalfantasyswordsman77 – Not all of them are necessarily experiments…

Master Sabbath – You'll find out later! ; )

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_**Words in the story like this are flashbacks or dreams**_

_Words in the story like this are thoughts

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_

Please review!

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_The children were returning for the Reunion.

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_

Keila awoke. The room was dark, and full of shadows. She lifted her head, and pushed herself up. She could hear a strange sound. She stood up from the bed, letting the duvet slid silently to the carpet. Keila walked slowly to the door. She didn't know how long she'd slept for, but she felt better, less exhausted. However she could hear odd noises from outside her room; bumps and sobbing. Slowly, she pushed the door open. Sephiroth was hunched in a chair by the dying fire, his hands hiding his face, wet, streaming tears running down his cheeks. Keila stared in shock. She had never seen Sephiroth getting in this kind of state, when she had known him. Nervously, uncertain of how to talk to him, Keila cleared her throat.

"Ummmm…S…Sephiroth? Are…are you OK?" Sephiroth raised his head, to look at her.

"It's been a while since I cried." Sephiroth murmured, wiping the tears hastily off his face and gazing at them on his hands. Again Keila noticed just how handsome he was.

"Can I ask you something, Keila?" Sephiroth's voice startled her out of her thoughts. She looked at him, curiously. Sephiroth was gesturing to the second armchair in the room, next to his. She walked over to it, and sat down.

"How much do you know about me Keila?"

The question was so odd that Keila stared at him for a moment before answering.

"Everyone knows about you. All that stuff you did, the stuff I didn't want to believe-"

"No, no. Not_ that _stuff. I mean, really, how much do you know about me. My life, my feelings and my reasons for doing what I did."

"I don't know that much." admitted Keila, laying her hands on the arms of the chair. "I mean, you told me stuff when we were together at Shinra. But we got separated in the Wutia wars, and I've not heard from you since."

Sephiroth leaned forward and placed a hand on hers. She jumped slightly as he leaned closer, but felt reassured by his warm hand.

"Then I'll tell you a story. There was a professor named Hojo who worked for Shrina a while ago. He injected cells of an alien called Jenova into a woman's womb. He thought the alien was an Ancient, and thought injecting the cells of an alien into the womb that held his son would make a God. When his son was born, he tormented the child, injecting it with Mako, treating it like filth and called it, 'His precious specimen'."

Sephiroth stared deep into Keila's eyes and she held his gaze, staring back. His hand, on top of hers, shook, very slightly.

"He 'tested' his son, and told him his mother was called Jenova. When his son went to a Mako reactor, he saw humans that his father had turned to monsters. He believed then, that he had been created the same way. He went mad with the idea. It tore his mind apart. Then, when he found more evidence, he believed Jenova was his mother and was an Ancient. He escaped with Jenova, and she pretended to love him. This was because the son was after the Promised Land; a land of supreme happiness, with infinite amounts of Mako energy."

"But the truth was she would dispose of him, when he got the Promised Land, and she would keep it for herself. So, believing he was doing the right thing he slaughtered people, killed the last remaining Ancient and summoned a meteor to collide with the earth. That is my life. I am that son."

Keila looked into his eyes and saw a terrible pain in the green glow. She reached over, clasped his trembling hand and looked into his eyes.

"I've been many places on the Planet. I've heard many stories about you. But they don't tell the truth about you. You're not half as evil as they say. You are just a poor lonely man, twisted by fate."

Sephiroth looked up at her, and there was hope in his gaze. Keila, leant forwards, and kissed him, tenderly. Sephiroth responded with soft, gentle kisses along her lips and cheeks. Keila, moving slowly, rose from the chair and sat on his lap, and curled her legs around his back. She felt dimly as though she was a teenager again, escaping briefly to kiss Sephiroth in cupboards and behind walls.

"You - you want to be with me?" Sephiroth murmured, touching her cheek gently. "When you know what I've done?"

"Always." Keila replied fiercely, a wild fire in her eyes. "I will be with you always. No matter what."

He kissed her again, and this time his kiss was hard and demanding, his mouth possessing every inch of hers, and his arms hauling her against him. She loved this new sensation, and she felt the solid thrust of his erection through the thin pants she wore and tried to get closer still, frustrated by the barrier created by the clothes they were wearing.

She lifted her hands and slid them under his black vest, groaning softly as she felt the warmth of his skin and the smooth swell of his firm muscles under her searching fingers.

His hands followed suit, lifting the white vest she was dressed in, breaking their passionate kiss for a second as he slid it over her head, and let it fall onto the dusty carpet. Her boxers followed, and she was sat, curled, in only the white knickers that Sephiroth had not removed when changing her clothes.

The slide of his bare, capable hands over her bare flesh made her shiver in anticipation, and she knew she wanted him. Without removing his lips from her desirable mouth, he lifted her easily in his arms and walked the short distance to his own bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him and laying her down in the middle of his larger bed, illuminated by candles which came to life at a clap of his hands.

Breathing heavily, his glowing, turquoise eyes blazing with a sexual desire that thrilled her, he yanked off his black vest and came down on top of her, kissing her again until she was writhing beneath him. His gentle hands slid smoothly over Keila's fiery flesh, removing the final barrier, and finally she was naked, spread out beneath him on the cool, white sheets. Sephiroth looked at her and knew she had truly changed into a woman. Her hazel eyes glinted in the candlelight, and she licked her lips in craving for him.

"See something you like?" She whispered a faint smile on her pink lips.

Sephiroth nodded, and breathing deeply, he bent his head, and teased her nipple, flicking gently with his tongue and then drawing her into the heat of his mouth, his strong hand stroking her stomach lightly. Keila groaned, shifting her hips, aware of his hand on her stomach, and wanting it lower…

Finally, when she thought she would burst with frustration, he moved his hand slowly and found the moist, hot centre of her longing. Feeling him touch her so intimately, she ran her long fingers through his long, silver, shining hair. She pulled impatiently at his black, leather pants. With a quick, smooth movement, he dispensed with the rest of his clothes and she gasped in eagerness as he moved above her.

He entered her with a smooth, demanding thrust that left her in no doubt of just how much he wanted her and she lifted her smooth hips, encouraging him to thrust deeper still, until there was no knowing where he ended and she began.

She couldn't look away from him. Even when her body exploded in a shattering climax, her hazel eyes were locked on his, drawing him in, feeling him deep inside her both physically and mentally.

And even then he didn't release her. He just slowed the pace, thrusting deeply, building the heat again until she was writhing against him, desperate for the faster, pounding rhythm that would propel her upwards again, towards the ecstasy that she craved.

Finally, when she thought she couldn't stand it any longer, he shifted his weight, still staring deep into her eyes as he gave them both the exquisite pleasure that their bodies both desired.

This time when she peaked she felt his body quiver within hers and felt the pulsing strength of him deep inside her. Her fingers tightened painfully on his back and cried out his name, clinging to him as she tumbled headlong into paradise.

Keila fell back onto the pillows, her brown locks spread out like a halo, her chest rising and falling. Sephiroth shifted, and lay next to her, watching the flush in her face recede slowly. For a moment, there was silence, but for her steady breaths, and the candle wicks burning. Then Sephiroth laid his head on the pillow, and stared at the ceiling. Then he felt a warm head on his chest, and looked down. Keila beamed up him, her warm fingers entwining with his. She closed her eyes and smiled slightly. Sephiroth laid his cheek on the soft pillow, and pulled the duvet so it covered both of them. One of his hands was in Keila's; the other stroked her chocolate silken locks gently. Keila rested against him, feeling contented. Truly, Sephiroth was hers, and she was his.

"Sephiroth?" She said, as she began to drift sleepily into her dreams.

"Yeah?"

"I missed you."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment. He stroked her hair, and clasped her small hand firmly. Her fragile, yet full body lay against his; she wanted to be with him no matter what, no matter what he'd done.

"Yes," he whispered softly in her ear. "I missed you too."

But Keila was already asleep.

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	6. Dark Dreams of Sleep and Slaughter

Chapter 6

Dark Dreams of Sleep and Slaughter

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_Disclaimer: None of the Final Fantasy VII characters or places or whatever belong to me or anything else from the game. All other characters do belong to me._

There are some violent scenes in this chapter. Just to warn ya: )

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Hi! This is my little notice section! I will answer any reviews here! Keep reviewing :)

finalfantasyswordsman77 – Thanks for the review! Noromance in this chapter though!

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_**Words in the story like this are flashbacks or dreams**_

_Words in the story like this are thoughts

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_

"_Yes," he whispered softly in her ear. "I missed you too."

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_

Cloud sipped his hot chocolate. The house was bathed in twilight. Outside, the sun lazily descended behind the pink and gold haze of the sky, leaving in red glow in its wake. The windows yawned open, letting the light enter the house and caress the furniture. Tifa and Elmyra were chatting animatedly to each other at the sink. The bar was closed and Barret, Elmyra and Marlene had been invited to stay at Cloud and Tifa's house. Marlene, Aaron and Aeris were upstairs, tuckedinto bed. Barret sat comfortably in a large chair opposite Cloud, drinking a cocoa. They had been talking about their friends, and how they were doing in the world. Cloud had been waiting, and chose this moment to ask the question which had been buggering him all day.

"Barret," Cloud asked. "Have you told Marlene about her father?" Barret looked sharply at Cloud as Tifa and Elmyra looked up from their conversation curiously.

"Why….?" Barret asked suspiciously. Cloud frowned slightly at his tone.

"Oh, it's just I saw her mom's pendant around her neck, that's all." Barret visibly relaxed, and sipped his cocoa.

"Yeah, I told her." Barret answered gruffly. "She…she has a right to know these things."

Cloud raised his eyebrow, but didn't pursue the matter. Their conversation continued as normal. Barret told Cloud about Yuffie and her collection of materia and North Corel and how Marlene was very happy and a load of stuff that Cloud didn't hear, because he had developed a pounding headache. Then, as the last rays of the setting sun slid smoothly across the kitchen, Tifa stretched and announced her was hitting the hay, so they all cleaned their mugs and made their way to bed. Cloud got into bed next to Tifa, and, after several minutes trying to get comfortable with an awful throbbing in his brain, and fell asleep.

_**Dream**_

**_He stood on an altar, light streaming down from above. He blinked and looked to the centre of the round stone. Aeris kneeled before him, calm and locked in prayer._**

"_**No!" Cloud's consciousness screamed, trying to tear him out of the dream, to stop him seeing this beautiful angel. "No, Aeris, stop it, I don't want to see you die again!"**_

**_Predictably, horribly, Cloud felt a cold presence invade his being, smother his heart, and Clouds body went limp. His hand rose of its own accord, and unsheathed his sword. His hands fastened on the handle, and his body lurched forward and swung the blade at Aeris. His mind screamed, trying to resist the force which controlled his limbs. His body tried to attack her and his mind tried not attack her, this angel praying calmly on the altar. Cloud felt horrified by what his body was trying to do._**

**_Then the cold presence lifted, and he stood still, as a wave of dread overcame him. He knew what was coming next, but he was frozen, unable to move. He raised his eyes, and watched in terror as a dark shape floated down towards them._**

**_Sephiroth._**

**_The masamune ripped through Aeris' chest, spilling blood on the white stone. Then the silver-haired man smirked, and, turning his face slightly, he kicked the Centra off his sword. Aeris collapsed into Cloud's arms, and a faint smile was still on her lips_**

**_Then instead of flying away, he stepped up to Cloud. Cloud tried to step backwards, fear and revulsion filling his mind. Sephiroth reached forward, ran a slender, ice-cold thumb down Cloud's cheek, and whispered in his ear,_**

'**_I killed her and she brought me back to life.'_**

_**End dream**_

Cloud awoke with a start, and fell out of bed. Tifa, who had been awake, listening to him mutter in his sleep, turned to look at him. She leapt out of bed, because Cloud was lying curled on the carpet, shaking and sweating.

"Cloud! What's wrong?" she cried, alarmed, and ran to him, hauling him back onto the bed. Cloud slowly turned his head towards her, shivering, his eyes wide and full of pain, and he clung to her and swallowed hard.

"He's back, Tifa." Cloud said, his voice trembling. "Sephiroth's back."

* * *

Many miles south, in a small village surrounded by forest, another person awoke from a deep sleep, a freckled, ginger-haired, sky-blue eyed person. This was a young boy though, only eight years old, and he sensed danger. He clambered out of bed and ran to the window. He pushed open the shutters, and a horrifying sight met his juvenile blue eyes. 

The village was on fire!

Screams and sobbing reverberated over the crackling flames. The villagers were running everywhere while black, cloaked figures advanced menacingly through the flames. The boy saw his tall father on the ground in the village square below; he seized a pitchfork and charged at the hooded people. The child gasped in terror as a dark, cloaked shape leapt forward and a flash of silver tore cleanly across his father's form. His father's body collapsed on the ground. His bloodied head hit the cobbled street a second later, oozing blood.

The little boy shrank away from the window, fear consuming his mind, and he ran across his bedroom, and opened the door, peering out into the corridor. The stairs to the ground floor were opposite his room, and smoke expanded and coiled towards him from the end of the corridor. The house was already ablaze. The son slipped down the stairs, trying not to make any noise, walking barefoot in pale blue pyjamas. He reached the bottom of the stairs, and opened the back door. Two people lay dead in the small vegetable patch behind his home. One of the corpses had arrows sticking out of his skin, from which poured a black liquid. The other lay on the unsteady turf, his neck bent at a funny angle, his eyes wide and unfocused, and his mouth was slightly open, drooling blood. His neck and arms were spilling blood onto the dirt floor. The boy stuffed his little hand in his mouth to stop himself crying out, and stepped gingerly over the bodies. He ran to the shade of the trees and peeped out behind a large oak to see what was happening in the village.

The moon shone red in the night sky, dancing on the grey leaves of the treetops, and, underneath which, the villagers were being cut down without mercy. The small child saw his friends begging for mercy, their young hands locked as though in prayer, and then they screamed as sharp, cruel swords sliced their hands off, leaving bloody stumps.

The child gulped, tears beginning to pour wetly down his face. He saw there were about one hundred veiled people, all killing without pity, slicing and stabbing any village dweller or child they could see. Even the animals, which ran this way and that, were beheaded or chased, screeching, into the flames. People, who lay half-dead, bleeding, crying in pain, and for mercy, were stabbed repeatedly, or set alight, so their howls rang upwards, seeming to shake the stars. In the centre of the square, people's heads (separated from their bodies) were chucked into the tall fountain, so that the water was dyed red. The boy stood, trembling, watching the sickening scene unfold before his eyes, his numb brain taking all of it in.

Finally there were no villagers left alive. Bodies lay in pools of their own blood, their bruised and bloodied faces twisted into masks of horror, their eyes forever locked in terrified pools of darkness. The boy had sunk to the ground trembling, his eyes blind with tears. The cloaked figures were assembled in a cluster, and two of the hooded people were talking to the rest of them, loudly, importantly, as though they were the leaders of the group.

The boy caught words in the speech like 'great', 'next time' and 'the cleaning of our swords'. The two people at the front of the troop of killers raised their swords and daggers, and cried piercingly into the night,

"Sephiroth!"

The others imitated them, raising their weapons above their heads, they shouted as one,

"SEPHIROTH!"

They began to thrust theirs swords and spears into the air, chanting,

"SEPHIROTH! SEPHIROTH! SEPHIROTH! SEPHIROTH!"

The boy started shivering. He was cold and hungry and terribly afraid, and this chant was not helping. He had heard this name in stories his father had told, and it was the name of a Shinra General who had gone mad, and slaughtered many people. If this group of people were following him, then the General must be alive again. The boy shook, fearfully. Then, to his horror, he saw that the chanting had stopped, and that someone, a villager, who was alive being dragged to the front of the group, and shoved to the ground.

_Mother!_

His mother was shaking as much as he was, and her face blanched as one of the tall leaders stepped forwards, unsheathing a long, silver sword, its point steadily hovering before her throat. The boy looked desperately around. He couldn't just sit here while his mother died. He found some stones by the tree roots, and picked one up. He ran a few quick steps out of the trees protection and threw the rock as hard as he could. It bounced on the ground a few feet from where the figure was about to kill his mother. Some of group twitched, as though a fly was buzzing around their heads. The son, now desperate, screamed,

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU MURDERER!"

There was silence, but for the crackling of the flames, and the drip, drip, drip of blood trickling from wounds. Slowly, as one, the great host of black, cloaked and hooded people turned, and stared across the village square at the lone child, standing at the forest's edge. The boy clapped a hand over his mouth. In the darkness of the night, a hundred eyes glowed back at him, all different colours. It was as though he was in the presence of a hundred bloodthirsty demons. These people……weren't people. They weren't human. Then his mother's voice shrieked in the silence.

"MIKA!"

The others turned back to her sharply. The boy started, hearing his name being called. His heart pounded heavily at his mother's panicked voice. _I don't want you to die, Mother! _He thought frantically. _Don't die!_

The other leader, with gold, gleaming eyes like a cat's, drew a bow and arrow from nowhere and levelled it, pointing at Mika's heart. This person, unlike the others, wore a white fur cloak.

"MIKA! RUN!"

The arrow was let fly from the other leader, the black bow singing, but it didn't fly for Mika's heart. It pierced his mother's throat, silencing her, and choking her.

"MOTHER!" Mika yelled, full of disbelief and horror. He saw her head loll backwards, her panicked eyes find his, and her wet lips mouth the words 'run, Mika' before another arrow pierced her sternum, and carved straight through her heart, killing her instantly. All the glowing, demonic eyes in the village square flickered back to Mika, and fear stabbed his insides.

Taking his mother's last words to heart, he turned and fled into the trees. An arrow shot above his head, and stuck, quivering in the bark of a plum tree. And it was said that, ever after, if anyone ever ate the fruit of that tree, their heart would be filled with dread, and they would waste away, until death, pursued by an unknown fear. But that's another story.

Mika heard the sounds of a pursuit and at that moment, survival instinct took over. He began ducking and diving under trees, over roots, behind bushes, around marshes…He was running deeper and deeper into the forest. He leapt across streams and over ditches. The thought of his family, his friends, his hometown, it kept him running and fear as adrenaline pumped through his veins, his heart pounding in his rib cage. Thorns and branches struck his face and tried to catch him, tangling his feet and knees, but he kicked them and ran on. A twisting, whirling wind howled and screamed around the forest where Mika ran, and bit his face, blowing leaves and twigs at him, which scratched his arms and whipped his frail back. The moon shone overhead as Mika slipped into the shadows and ran through the dense undergrowth. He dared not look back, terrified that he would see gleaming eyes staring at him in the dark.

Then he tripped, and slid down an earthy slide, down to the bottom of a ditch. He lay on his stomach, quaking with dread, expecting a dark figure to leap down, and stab him to death.

But there was silence now, and only the whispering trees disturbed the endless silence. Mika sat up. His face was scratched and muddy, his blue eyes red and swollen, and his ginger hair was covered in filth. Moss and dirt were caked under his fingernails, and his small hands and feet bled and stung from pushing nettles aside and running over sharp stones. His blue pyjamas were stained green and brown from mud and grass, and they were sodden. Mika was frozen, filthy and full of fear. He curled into a ball in the mud and rocked back and forth, sobbing for his mother and father. He was so afraid, and there was no one to help him.

_But I must go on! Mother wanted me to run, to live!_

Mika stood up tremulously, and began to climb up the ditch blindly, feeling his way up the slope of the ditch, his small hands and feet scrabbling for rocks to hold and he cried as he cut himself on the rock. He reached the top of the ditch, and immediately tumbled down a rocky slope on the other side. He bounced, rolled and fell all the way down, and lay silent underneath the tree branches, staring up at the stars. He felt sore, and he wanted to lie down, to just stop moving. But again, he rose, and staggered on, blood running down his knees, grazes on his elbows and a bump on his head where he had hit a stone falling down the slope. He suddenly lurched and clung to a willow tree. The images of tonight; the massacre, the fear, those…those _demons_, his pain, his home, his father, his **mother**…

Mika pitched forward and vomited, into a bank and collapsed, weak and tired. He could not go on. His body trembled, and he sat in exhaustion, crouched in the roots of the great tree, his mind full of the pictures of the night's events.

"I'm sorry, Mother." He cried, staring up at the stars, tears running down his cheeks, washing the mud away from his pale skin. "I can't run any longer."

Then he put his face in his hands, and wept.

* * *

The fire flickered, burning away the last remains of the village's corpses. The masses of black robed figures were silent. A cruel wind howled and charged around the square, making the trees lash themselves against the cobbled roads. The two leaders stood separately, looking up to the stars. The news of the child's escape had not been met well; a black figure lay impaled upon a spear some feet away. The leaders had told their followers to wash their swords in the fountain and wait. The one with a white fur cloak spoke suddenly to the other, in a high, sweet feminine voice, which dripped toxic poison. 

"Number 3? Shall we go?"

"We shall, number 4." The response was cold, cruel and masculine. The two turned to face the group, and the rest stood straight, upright, soldiers of war.

"BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" His voice rang out sharply, shouting over the wailing of the wind. "THE TIME IS NOW!"

The other stirred. Pale faces gleamed in the firelight, excitement flashing in their glowing, Mako eyes.

"SOME OF US," The man howled, his purple eyes blazing, "CANNOT BE HERE! THEY HAVE DIED, EITHER THROUGH LOYALTY OR BETRAYAL! BUT NOW, WE SHALL STRIKE, TRULY TO GIVE OUR ALLEGIANCE TO THE GREAT, THE ALMIGHTLY, THE IMMORTAL SEPHIROTH!"

Cheers echoed through the wrecked village. Some of their number raised their weapons again, chanting, "SEPHIROTH! SEPHIROTH!"

"COME, MY BRETHREN!" The man screamed, waving his shining sword high above his hooded face. "NOW TO WAR! NOW TO VICTORY! NOW TO BLOOD, FIRE AND SEPHIROTH!"

As one, the people leapt forth into the air, landing on trees, and bounding forwards, flying and soaring over the forest, following the leaders. Cloaks flapped and rose like wings, revealing sharp, metallic, deadlyweapons and smooth, flexible fighters clothing. Each person was special; each had his or her deadly way of combat. Each had a black, numberedtattoo on his or her shoulder, and hair of many colours swept back and shimmered in the moonlight. Number 3 was ahead of everyone else, hopping from tree branches and bounding into the moonlight. His sister, number 4, soared gracefully behind him, her golden eyes fixed ahead. He could see their destination hundreds of miles before them, perched on a hill of scraggly rocks and dirt, framed by the full-grown condor sat on top of the battlements. This was going to be a terrible night for Fort Condor. The man began to move faster, pushing his body harder, and leading the group further across the forest, and jumping into a willow tree and leaping on.

As the group followed, and leapt onto the willow tree, and then off again, none of them noticed a child, curled in the roots of the tree below them, watching them with terrified eyes. When they had gone, he uncurled, stood up and stumbled. All Mika knew was that they probably knew the way out of the forest. And there was no way he could ever go back. They, those demons, they had made sure of that. Tripping and swaying, Mika rose and staggered into the shadows of the forest after them.

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Poor Lil' Mika! What do you think! Tell me! Please review, I live off comments!


	7. Sweethearts and Surprises

Chapter 7

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Sweethearts and Surprises

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_Disclaimer: Anything you've ever seen during the Final Fantasy VII game does not belong to me.

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Hi! This is my little notice section! I will answer any reviews here! Keep reviewing :)

Master Sabbath – Yes, most of them, and cheers: )

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WOW!!! I'm writing again! It's been years! I'm back baby!

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_**Words in the story like this are flashbacks or dreams**_

_Words in the story like this are thoughts

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_Tripping and swaying, Mika rose and staggered into the shadows of the forest after them.

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Keila woke up. Her head lay peacefully on Sephiroth's warm chest. Light floated gently into the room through the window, and split into a rainbow, which danced on the white walls. Creamy drapes hung languorously from the tall bedposts. Soft pools of wax floated around the bottom of white candles fixed in small, black, metal brackets in the walls. A tall oak wardrobe stood in the corner of the room, sunlight glinting on its polished surface. There was a mirror opposite the bed on the wall, and the two of them were reflected there, lying together peacefully. Keila laid her head back on Sephiroth's chest and breathed deeply. She had never been able to do this when she was with Sephiroth at Shinra. For some reason Hojo hadn't approved of their relationship. Keila looked up into Sephiroth's face, his eyes closed gently, all worry and doubt erased from his smooth features.

"I love you." she whispered to him.

"I love you too." his voice made her jump in fright. She hadn't known he was awake.

"Sephiroth…" She reached up and touched his face. Sephiroth stroked her silky brown hair. When was the last time he had felt like he was in love like this? Not for years and years. Not since Keila was with him before. He just couldn't stop admiring her. Keila gently caressed Sephiroth's smooth skin. He wrapped his arms round her and yawned. Keila sighed, rolling her eyes, and laughed happily.

"Keila, what's the time?" Sephiroth asked sleepily. Keila reached for the bedside table and peered at the little clock on the shiny surface.

"It's 9 O'clock."

Sephiroth groaned lazily and sat up. Keila sat up, leaning against the white pillows, watching as he slid out of bed, admiring the way his lengthy silver hair glowed in the morning light. Sephiroth went to the wardrobe and pulled out black boxers and long black pants. Keila opened her mouth, and asked the question that had been bothering her ever since she saw Sephiroth the previous evening.

"Sephiroth, can I ask you something?" Sephiroth looked up from the wardrobe at her questioningly face and nodded.

"How is it that you are alive when Cloud Strife killed you?" Keila cocked her head on one side, a curious expression on her face. Sephiroth sighed and pulled on the pants over his boxers.

"I died and went to the Void before the Lifestream. But the Lifestream cannot except me unless I atone for my sins and right my wrongs. So Aeris, the last Cetra, gave me a second chance, and here I am. She gave me something to help me."

Sephiroth straightened up, turned around and pointed to the tattoo on his temple. Keila gasped, and jumped out of bed. She strode over to him, and put an arm around his waist, her fingers gently reaching up and touching the star-shaped mark. "When this tattoo turns green, everyone living has forgiven my sins. Then I can rest in peace."

Keila was silent for a minute, standing there, embracing him and then she wondered aloud, "Jenova….."

"She is dead." stated Sephiroth flatly. "I now know she was nothing but an ugly, vile, lying alien. She was no ancient, and neither am I."

Keila was quiet. She rested her head against his chest, wondering about him and his future. Then, quite suddenly, Sephiroth spoke.

"Keila, I am on a mission to find my origins – who is my true mother?" Sephiroth said solemnly. "What is my purpose? Am I nothing more than an experiment? Will you join me on this journey that I hope will not contain death?" Keila looked into his aqua-marine eyes, and thought of all the times she had looked into those eyes, and saw the determination she saw now. When they had been at the labs at Midgar together, when they had trained together, when they had fought side by side at Wutai, there had been that determination there too. She knew what he must do. She knew he could not do it alone. And she nodded.

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When they were both dressed, (Keila back in her old, but now washed clothes) they sat together in the living room with bowls of steaming porridge, made in the small kitchen. Sephiroth had dug out an old map of the world from a cupboard and they were pouring over it. Keila was informing Sephiroth of all the changes that had gone on in the world while he was in the Lifestream.

"The world has grown better and stronger over the last five years. The world is more industrialised; but mako power is no longer used. People mainly used coal, and ways of generating electricity again have been found – though I don't understand the mechanics of it. Midgar is a better place now; plants can grow there and no one lives in the slums. Shinra is talking about using-"

"Shinra!?" Sephiroth spluttered, choking on his porridge and turning purple. The porridge bowl clattered onto the table, the spoon jangling on the sides. Keila thumped him on the back, and his face cleared momentarily, to be twisted into a dark scowl a moment later. "Shinra… after everything… they're still in charge!? I thought you said Midgar was a better place!"

"Don't worry, its ok!" Keila soothed him, "Midgar _is_ a better place. A good man is in charge now, a man called Reeve, and he holds none of the previous president's ideals. He was part of AVALANCHE as I understand it."

Sephiroth's face smoothed out somewhat, though he still looked troubled, and looked back at the map. His porridge bowl was left untouched after that.

"As I was saying," Keila continued "Shinra is talking about using the power of the sun or wind to supply energy, though I don't know how. Farming has become more advanced in rural areas, people are living better, and being better educated. This is mainly due to wealth being distributed more evenly on a global scale, thanks to AVALANCHE."

Sephiroth turned his head from the map, and gazed at Keila. The look in his eyes stated very clearly "Explain."

"Well," Keila began, as though Sephiroth had spoken, "About a year after your death, that's four years ago, Cloud Strife set up an organisation called GUARDIANS, an institution of warriors who fight monsters, and distribute the spoils to the needy. A lot of young people join to help others, and get stronger. The main base is at Fort Condor, though there are several bases set up around the world. Cloud Strife visits them every now and then, though at the moment he is living in Midgar with his wife and children."

"Nonetheless, we need to avoid the Fort for the time being." Sephiroth said quietly. Knowing that Strife had an army at his beck and call did nothing to relieve his worries of going out into the world to seek forgiveness. Keila sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I think that would been wise." She stood up, and carried the porridge bowls back to the kitchen. Sephiroth heard her rattling and clinking round, and fell to studying the map again. The world was so big, containing so many people…… how could he possibly earn all of their forgiveness? He stood up suddenly, and picked his Masamune up from where it lent against the wall. Keila walked in, carrying a sackcloth bag, moving in Sephiroth's brisk matter. They both knew when things needed to be done, and did them without hesitation. Keila rolled up the map, tucking it into the bag, which she slung over her shoulder and Sephiroth handed her the many knives she owned. Slotting them into place, she knelt down to check the many materia in the knife slots on her boots, she looked up again to see Sephiroth's outstretched hand, asking for hers. She gave him her hand gladly.

"Ready?"

"Always."

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REEEEEEVVVIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!


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